The US Department of Justice and a coalition of states are advocating for Google to not only divest Chrome but also share search data and halt its multibillion-dollar payments to Apple and other smartphone manufacturers and wireless networks that designate Google as the default search engine on new devices.
These recommendations seek to restore competition following a judge’s finding last year that Google unlawfully dominates the online search and associated advertising markets. Companies in the artificial intelligence sector could gain momentum after already challenging Google’s position as the primary tool for online information retrieval.
US District Judge Amit Mehta is presiding over the trial, which commenced in April. He has expressed his intention to rule on the proposals by August.
If the judge mandates Google to divest Chrome, OpenAI would be keen on acquiring it, stated Nick Turley, OpenAI’s product head for ChatGPT, during the trial.
Access to Google’s search data would also be advantageous for OpenAI, as it would enhance the accuracy and timeliness of its responses to user queries, Turley added.
